Echoes of Another Life
by Fury Seven Kerrigan
Summary: A demi-sentient plague is making it's way through the land of Camelot destroying everything in it's path. It is all up to Arthur now to save his land as Uther is still reeling from Morgana's betrayal and something has happened to Merlin and Gauis.
1. Chapter 1

A demi-sentient plague is making it's way through the land of Camelot destroying everything in it's path. It is all up to Arthur now to save his land as Uther is still reeling from Morgana's betrayal and something has happened to Merlin and Gauis. Without the combination of his faithful and loyal friend and his learned mentor, Arthur wishes that the weight of the world wasn't always on his shoulders. Or is it? There may be another who knows of the plague and only they can save them all... but they might have other intentions.

AN: I hope to update this once a week, or twice if you're lucky and I keep on top of the writing!

Hope you enjoy.

**Echoes of Another Life**

**Chapter One**

Merlin woke up feeling very relaxed and happy on his back in the middle of a field with long grass and wildflowers all around him. He opened his eyes and smiled up at the intense blue sky and sunshine. He stretched his arms up over his head in satisfaction and took in a deep breath to smell the earthiness and grass that surrounded him.

He sat up and looked around, bracing his upper body with his arms on the ground behind him.

It was a lovely day.

He pondered the view surrounding him with the valleys and forests in the distance.

"Merlin!" a happy voice that he knew well announced itself from somewhere behind him.

Lazily, Merlin peered around and smiled when he saw Gauis also lying in the fields with a matching expression on his face. Both were very happy with where they were.

"Where are we?" Merlin asked his mentor.

"Does it matter?" Gauis replied.

"Not at all," Merlin laughed back at him. Gauis joined in with the laughter and then they both flopped back down in the long grass to enjoy the warm day.

oOo

It was raining horrendously as Arthur with a few knights set out of Camelot on horseback to find Merlin and Gauis who had been missing for over a day. They'd been out gathering herbs while the weather was good and Merlin had promised Arthur that he'd be back in time to run his bath after a good day of training. And now it was the next morning and the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Arthur had stormed into Gauis' chambers that morning to demand Merlin attend to him, but neither of them had been there and that set alarm bells off in Arthur's head.

Asking around, Arthur had found out that neither of them had been seen since they went out to gather herbs. Arthur had taken some of his father's knights to go out and find them, in spite of the downpour.

While he desperately wanted to find them, he didn't want to make it _look_ like he was desperate to find them. His father would only have made it... _difficult_... for him later on if he'd found that out.

Arthur's shoulders slumped slightly. His father would _once_ have done just that, but since Morgana had betrayed him and had disappeared, and since Uther now had a barely existent grasp on reality, Arthur was essentially in charge of the kingdom. He would report to his father, as he always did, but he knew there wouldn't be a reaction. He knew that the blank blue eyes of his father would continue to stare out of the window without seeing anything.

Which was why Arthur so needed to find Merlin and Gauis. He needed his friends to help him and to guide him. He wasn't ready to be king on his own just yet. He wanted his father back. He wanted his friends back. If it hadn't been for Guinevere, Arthur wouldn't know _what_ he would have done. He perked up ever so slightly when he thought of her. His love, secret though it was, she was everything to him. She had given him the final push that he needed to go against what he knew would have been his father's wishes and had gone out to find Merlin and Gauis. He just hoped that it wasn't all for vain.

_Don't be stupid_, Arthur chided himself, _we'll find them. Don't worry before you even know if there's something to worry about_. He looked around at the three other men with him, hoping that he looked as confident and as aloof as he wanted to look. "Let's find them- we need our Court Physician and his apprentice back in his place at Camelot," he told the knights, hoping that he wasn't betraying what he was really feeling.

He'd missed Merlin that morning.

Arthur complained a lot to Merlin's face about how he was woken up each morning, but it was secretly a great way to wake up. Merlin made Arthur laugh, not that Arthur would admit it to Merlin. And he saw Gauis as more of a father-figure than he saw his own father sometimes. Gauis had a quiet way about him that commanded respect, rather than the fear-inducing way that Uther had about him.

The rain plastered Arthur's hair to his forehead and it was dripping down his nose and off the end of it so much that he'd stopped long ago trying to wipe it away. The men in the riding group were all a bit subdued from the ride, all looking sodden in the same way that Arthur was.

They'd been out for some hours and Arthur was about to give the order to turn back when there was a shout from up ahead. Sir Hallan had ridden up to the top of the ridge ahead and was looking back at Arthur, pointing down below him. Arthur dug his heels into Sigral's side to make the horse pick up it's step.

As Arthur got to Sir Hallan's side, he looked down to where the man was pointing into the glade below the ridge and his breath hitched in his throat.

There were two bodies lying at the bottom, both absolutely sopping wet and muddy, partially covered in bracken and leaves.

Arthur dropped down from Sigral and ran down into the glade, almost tripping over brambles as he did. There were heavy footfalls behind him as the knights followed.

"Merlin!" he yelled, "Gauis!"

He got down there first and dropped at Merlin's side who was closer. He was breathing. Arthur shook his shoulders. "Merlin! Merlin, wake up!" But it had no effect. He looked over towards Gauis where Sir Thomas was trying to revive the physician, but he also had no luck.

"What's happened to them Sire?" Sir Hallan asked him. Arthur shook his head. He could see no injuries, no blood, no obvious attack on either of them.

"Why are they smiling?" Sir Thomas asked.

Arthur looked closer at Merlin. There was indeed a small smile on his face. It was faint, but his lips had definitely curled upwards slightly. Arthur looked at Gauis who looked the same. "I don't know..." Arthur said, trailing off. "But we must get them back to Camelot, quickly!" And he slid his arms through the mud and underneath Merlin's back and knees, picking the slight man up in his arms easily. Sir Thomas did the same for Gauis, and they carried them up to their horses back at the top of ridge where Sir William had stayed with them.

"You found them!" Sir William said, but his relief died as he saw they were both unconscious.

"Yes," Arthur confirmed, however unnecessarily, "now we ride hard for Camelot."

And they did. It was a fair trip by horse and would have taken several hours more by foot. _What were they doing all the way out here?_ Arthur couldn't help but wonder.

oOo


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

It had been a beautiful day when Merlin and Gauis had gone out walking to collect herbs. That had been Gauis' excuse anyway. He had seen the tired eyes and the slumped shoulders of Merlin and he had decided that a pleasant day outside would do them both a world of good. A small bag of food and the pleasant familiarity of the company made it a relaxing day for them both and Gauis could feel the weight of being Court Physician falling away from his shoulders. He could practically _see_ it falling away from Merlin's shoulders as the sunlight and the fresh air became a tonic that had more effect than Gauis' own remedies. The boy became bright and bubbly again, talking nineteen-to-the-dozen about who only knew what, but Gauis revelled in it. His boy was losing the tired look about him with every step.

They had collected a few herbs by the time that Gauis looked at the position of the sun in the sky and declared that they should sit for a little bite to eat.

He had to admit that he felt quite sleepy afterwards so he leaned back and lay on the grass, knowing full well that he would need Merlin's help to get back up, but the lovely day and the pleasantness of the surroundings was too tempting.

He was just nodding off when he thought he felt his ears pop. He opened his eyes a crack, but as nothing seemed out of the ordinary and as he could hear Merlin snoring gently next to him, he smiled contentedly and closed his eyes again and fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A couple of these chapters are a little short because I am doing each chapter from a separate point of view. Just to let you know that when they *are* a little short, I will post a couple of them in a week instead of doing just one chapter. It's only fair :)

Fury

**Chapter Three**

_So hungry... It was so hungry. _

_It ate everything it came across- _everything_, and yet it was never enough. _

_It feasted on insects and plants and magic and life and nothing stood a chance in it's path. It was drawn to life as moths to a flame, although this time, the death was the other way around. All life in it's way was suddenly and completely made extinct. In it's wake, there was the brown of the dusty earth and the grey of the rocks, but there was no lush green of plant life and no vibrant colour of humanity. All that had ventured across it's path was now gone forever. _

_Onwards it went. _

_Onwards it devoured. _

oOo


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Arthur and his party made it back to Camelot shortly after nightfall, although with the torrential rain, it had become dark far earlier than it should have done for the time of year.

Arthur was glad to see the light of a fire burning brightly in his bedroom window- he would be warm tonight and glad for it. He turned away from it though as he jumped down from Sigral to see Sir Hallan and Sir Thomas removing Gaius' and Merlin's bodies from the horses.

"Take them to Gaius' chambers," he ordered them. "See that they are warm and dry." He looked towards Sir William dismounting from his steed. "Sir William- find a physician from the lower town and bring them to Gaius' chambers at once."

"Yes my Lord," Sir William said, bowing briefly and turning away at once.

Arthur barely acknowledged the stable hand that came to take the horses away as he bounded up the steps to the castle, taking them two at a time in his rush to see his father. Uther was still in a near-vegetable state, barely acknowledging food, let alone his son's presence, but Arthur wouldn't let that stop him from making conversation with him.

In his haste on his way to Uther's chambers, Arthur almost ran full speed into Guinevere.

She managed to side-step on reflex, but she still dropped her tray of fruit.

It clanged off the stone floor and scattered it's contents all over the floor before coming to a rest at Arthur's feet.

Both of them opened their mouths to apologise before they smiled bashfully at each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

At the same time, they both sank to their knees to save the fruit before someone stood on it.

"I'm sorry Guinevere," Arthur said, shaking his head at his own stupidity. "I should know better- I was always being told off for running in these corridors. The number of times I've nearly bowled someone over..." he trailed off.

Guinevere smiled at him. "It's alright, really! It's me who should be apologising. I was in my own little world there for a moment. I should have been paying more attention."

Arthur picked the tray, now full of fruit, up and handed it back to Guinevere's waiting arms. He smiled at her and she smiled back that shy little smile that she reserved only for him.

She always made him feel better and he counted his blessings everyday that she held him in the same regard as he did for her.

Her face fell though as she suddenly remembered where he'd been and why he was dripping rainwater on to the flagstones. She gasped at her thoughtlessness. "Merlin! Gaius!" she exclaimed. "Did you find them? Were you successful?"

Arthur's smile dropped as well. "We did," he said, as Gwen took a sigh of relief. "Although they were, and still are, unconscious. I don't know why," he added. "I've sent for the physician from the lower town to see to them and Sir Thomas and Sir Hallan are taking both of them to Gaius' chambers now."

Gwen nodded. "Do you want me to go and attend to them?"

Arthur smiled at her, bringing his cold, wet hand up to cup her warm cheek. "You are a marvel, Guinevere," he told her. "Yes please- you know where everything is kept better than anyone else who isn't either Merlin or Gaius," he answered her.

He hand lingered on her cheek for a moment before he slowly lowered it and allowed her to leave, but not before her hand had grasped his for a second and given it a squeeze.

He watched her leave and didn't leave until she'd rounded the next corner and was out of his sight. Not until then did he carry on, at a slower pace, to the chambers of his father.

He walked straight in and noted that Uther was, as ever, in his chair just... staring vaguely towards the window.

Arthur slowly walked forwards and took the chair next to his father.

He sat there for a few minutes, not wanting to break the silence. He listened to the crackling of the fire in the grate and the sounds of the logs settling. He heard the harsh patter of the rain against the windows and the quiet sound of the King's steady breathing.

It wasn't the happiest setting in the land, but Arthur found the sounds and the room oddly comforting. He was loathe to make another, harsher, sound- that of voice. But on the other hand, it also helped him to make these reports to his father. It reminded him that his father wasn't dead, and that Arthur wasn't yet king. Uther, the King of Camelot had blood flowing through his veins yet, and it wasn't time for all of the weight of the kingdom to land on Arthur's shoulders, for which Arthur was most grateful.

And so he opened his mouth and told his father of all that had happened in the last couple of days.

Though silence was all that greeted him, when Arthur finally left his father's presence to go to the physician's chambers, he felt soothed and more at peace than he had been that morning.

oOo


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_There was so much food in magic- it hungered for it above all else. It sensed it all around, but when it found a little community of magical people, it delighted. _

_It almost slowed down in the anticipation of such a glorious meal. It sensed all around it in particular detail. These people were so magical that just being _near_ them was almost a meal unto itself. _

_It had clearly slowed down too much from devouring the forest around it- they had sensed it and it could also taste their fear. _

_Suddenly, their attention was turned elsewhere, towards two beings that it had not noticed yet. One was inconsequential, but the other- _

_Oh the other. _

_It had so much magic inside it that it would satiate it for a long time. It switched it's direction and latched on to the presence of the one magical being that would satisfy it for some time. _

_And then, just as suddenly, it was gone. Completely. _

_It roared in anger and disappointment, but the feeling of satisfaction at the spike of fear coming from the magical community almost made up for the loss of the powerful magical being, and it charged directly for them, devouring everything about them and their camp. _

oOo


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

When Arthur entered the physician's chambers later on, he was glad to see that Sir William had been quick in his task and had already found the physician from the lower town and had brought him up to the castle already. Gaius and Merlin were both on separate little wooden beds in the main room and despite everything that Arthur knew thus far about their condition, they looked for all the world like they were in a deep sleep and could easily wake up at any moment if Arthur were only to put his hand on their shoulder and shake them awake gently.

He was almost tempted to try it but he didn't want to look foolish in front of a stranger, especially a physician- a man of science and medicine. So instead, he walked forwards a few more steps into the room and cleared his throat so that the man straightened up from where he'd been bent over Gaius' form doing his inspections. He turned and almost jumped when he saw that it was the Crown Prince standing before him.

"Y-y-y-y-your Highness!" he managed to stammer out.

Arthur resisted all urges he had to roll his eyes- and there were a great many urges to do so. But it was hardly the behaviour of the future king, so he thought of the matter at hand and Merlin's predicament and managed not to offend the man standing before him nervously rubbing his hands together. _Honestly_, Arthur thought to himself, _you'd think the man would know that being summoned by a knight of the royal court would mean that he'd probably end up meeting royalty._ He once again repressed the urge to comment on this being a long night and addressed the physician.

"You are the physician from the lower town?" he asked, wanting the confirmation.

"Y-y-y-y-yesss, Sire!" the man said. "M-m-m-my name is Galen S-s-s-sire," he managed.

There was a small twitch that accompanied the stammer which Arthur found very distracting and he vaguely wondered how the man was able to work with it or make himself understood to his patients at all.

Luckily, it was at that point that Guinevere walked in, staggering slightly under the weight of a bucket of water which dripped a little on the floor. Both conscious men in the room smiled and unconsciously relaxed in her presence. Guinevere smiled at Arthur first who went over to her and took the heavy bucket from her arms and set it down next to the table in the room. Then she smiled at Galen.

"Hullo Galen," she said to him, clearly having met him before. "How are they?" she asked as she looked over at the two beds near the fireplace.

"G-good evening G-Guinevere," he replied, his stammer so much better with someone he knew, Arthur noticed. "I don't know what to tell you just yet. I-I have only just arrived, but already I c-can say that I've not s-seen anything like this before."

Gwen took a piece of cloth from a pile of medical supplies in the corner of the room and returned to the table to dip it in the bucket of water, wring it out, and go over to sit on a stool by Gaius' bed and bathe his forehead.

"He doesn't feel feverish at all," she said, looking back up at Galen.

"N-no. Nothing like that at all. No fevers, no rashes, no pox, and no plague as far as I can tell."

The room was quiet for a moment as all three of them looked at the two unconscious men.

"Could it be magic?" Arthur asked quietly as he sat on the bench by the table.

Galen stood up so quickly and spun around to Arthur it was like he'd been knocked by a bucking horse.

"M-m-m-magic isn't p-p-p-p-permitted Sire!" he said, so quickly that his stammer had come back in full force.

Arthur **did** roll his eyes that time. He couldn't help himself. "I know that," he said, "but magic still exists and so do sorcerers. Could it be magic?" he asked again.

"I-I-I-I don't know S-S-S-Sire. I d-d-d-don't know anything about that, Sire."

Arthur looked at Guinevere and silently communicated with her that she should try and reason with the man. She had more of a calming effect than Arthur did. Luckily for him, she understood him perfectly.

"What the Prince means, is that there are people in this world who do still practice magic. He isn't implying in any way that you would know anything about that sort of thing, he just wishes to know that in your opinion, as a man of science, is this a medical issue or is this a more... _problematic_ issue?"

Arthur beamed at her from behind Galen. Guinevere saw him do so but did her best not to react as Galen stared right at her.

Galen glanced at the Prince and almost seemed to flinch under his gaze. He returned his face to Guinevere and answered Arthur's original question even though he looked at the more friendly woman before him.

"I-it isn't like anything I've ever seen before G-Guinevere," he said, shrugging. "I d-d-don't think this is anything to do with medicine. If I w-w-were to guess, I w-w-would say it was magic."

With that word uttered, he seemed to shrink back into himself like he'd just condemned his dearest relative to death and he smacked his lips as if he were trying to rid his tongue of a bad taste.

This reaction was lost on Arthur as he looked upon his two unconscious friends and tried to come up with a plan.

"Our Court Historian, Geoffrey of Monmouth, is our next best expert after Gaius, on magic. I would like you to speak with him and work together to try and discover what it is that might be afflicting Merlin and Gaius," Arthur declared.

Galen whirled to look at Arthur, dread on his face which had turned ashen. "S-S-S-Sire! I can't d-d-d-do that!" he exclaimed. "That would be treason. S-S-Sire, is this a test?" he asked. "I-I-I've always been a loyal subject, m-m-my Lord a-a-a-and I w-w-w-w-would never use magic or even think about it my Lord!"

Arthur could feel himself beginning to lose his temper, even with Guinevere in the room with him. He put his hands on his hips and adopted an annoyed- and simplistic- tone that he usually reserved for Merlin to try and get himself understood. "I am not suggesting that you have- or have ever had- magic. I merely want to know what is going on with your patients," he said, really trying to spell out his intentions. "I know you are innocent of magic, which is why I want you to speak with Geoffrey of Monmouth so that together, you can try and work out what is wrong with _them_," and he nodded towards the two beds.

Galen rubbed his hands together nervously, but even that action didn't stop his hands from obviously shaking.

"S-S-Sire, I would serve y-y-you with any other request you m-m-might ever make, but with this, I c-c-c-cannot help you. I have a family to sssssupport and I c-c-can't do anything to p-p-p-put them in harm's way. I c-c-c-cannot d-d-do anything that might have me one d-d-day arrested and p-p-put to d-d-d-death for treason. K-K-King Uther would have my head for it. I'm sssssorry S-S-S-Sire, but I c-c-can't help you."

And before either Arthur or Guinevere could say anything to convince him otherwise, he practically ran from the room, leaving the two of them looking at the now empty doorway.

Arthur pointed uselessly at the now vacant doorway and looked back at Guinevere. He guessed that the somewhat stunned look on her face was mirrored on his. "Did- did that _actually_ just happen?" he asked her.

Gwen tilted her head to the side and tried to answer with a straight face. "I, er, believe it did Sire, yes," she said. "He actually ran from your presence."

Arthur returned his hands to his hips and looked both annoyed and exasperated. "I could have him ordered back here you know," he said to her. "I could _make_ him do his duty as a physician," he finished.

Gwen smiled. "You _could_," she agreed, "but I think you would get even less out of him than you did before. He was scared out of his wits."

Arthur snorted. "I don't think he _had_ any wits," but he had the grace to look a little chastised under Gwen's glare. Though even as she glared at him, she couldn't stop from smiling at the way Galen had run away and when Arthur caught her smiling, he laughed.

They soon sobered up though as Merlin and Gaius were still in need of their help, and they both knew it.

Arthur sighed. "So _now_ what do we do?" he asked her, looking at the beds with the two men in.

"Well," Gwen started, not catching Arthur's eye, "I have heard of another very good physician that some of the people in the lower town use when neither Gaius nor Galen are around."

Arthur frowned. "I didn't know we had another physician in Camelot," he said.

Gwen shook her head. "She isn't here Arthur- she's a few villages away. Not far- only an overnight trip, and mostly the people use her when they're out in the fields farming and it's too far to return to Camelot to be treated." She paused and looked at Arthur then to gauge his reaction to her next piece of information. "She's like Gaius in that she's old enough to remember the times before the Great Purge and as such, she has no problems with magic." Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I don't think she's ever used it!" Gwen rushed to say, "I just think that she's not got the problem with magic that Galen had."

Arthur snorted for the second time. "The only way he could have hated magic more is if he were my father," he said. Then he shook his head as if to clear it and he looked up at Gwen. "So, you know where this physician is?" he asked her.

Gwen nodded, "Yes."

"So if I sent you to her with some knights of Camelot, do you think you could bring her back here to tend to our patients?"

Gwen smiled. "Yes, of course I could Arthur."

Arthur's return smile to her was bordering on adoration. She loved that smile- it said to her all the things that he couldn't physically say to her in front of anyone else.

oOo

It was barely an hour later as Arthur watched Gwen leave Camelot with Sir Bors and Sir Leon. He only prayed that she would be successful in her quest.

oOo


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Morgana's life was a hard one.

She could have said that it was much harder since she had left Camelot, but now that she _was_ away, she could be herself. She didn't have to pretend that she was someone she wasn't in front of Morgause. A part of her often wondered how happy she might have been if she had been able to stay with the druids all that time ago, but that was the past. _No use in wishing for that_, she reminded herself sagely.

She was wandering through the forests looking for firewood. It wasn't an easy task as the rain had drenched everything. But now the sun was starting to peek through the trees and the drizzle and it picked her spirits up a little as well. She collected the driest wood she could find, knowing that later on, either she or Morgause could dry it out with magic anyway. It seemed trivial to use magic on something as small as that, but Morgause was insistent. She said that Morgana had a lot to catch up on and any practice was good practice as far as she was concerned.

Morgana carried along on her way, relishing the way that she squelched through the mud. It had long ceased to bother her that her clothes would get muddy. Those sort of vanities were inconsequential.

Suddenly, she heard Morgause's voice in her head.

"**Sister! You must return to me- quickly!" **

She didn't miss a beat. Morgana swung around and instantly headed back to the cave where she and Morgause were living. She stopped in her tracks though when she felt... _something_... _unnatural_.

She looked around but everything looked normal. The sunshine still desperately tried to shine and the air still smelled fresh from the torrential rain. She turned back and carried on to get back to Morgause when she felt it again. She looked around again. That was when she realised that there was no sound of animal life. No birds calling in the trees, no rustle of leaves from deer or rabbits, no sound of anything.

And then she felt the- _pull_- on her magic. It was like an unpleasant tug deep within her soul.

She didn't know what on earth could cause that sensation against her magic- and it did feel like it was acting against it- but whatever it was, it made her pick up her step.

She got to the top of the next dell when she saw it. The devastation. It was all over and it had caused more destruction that she could bear. She could feel that whatever had caused it was an attack against magic as well as nature and it brought tears to her eyes in sympathy for everything that had been caught up in the path of whatever had caused it.

Then she felt another tug- more urgent this time. She looked up wildly and threw her head from side to side to try and see whatever it was that made the pull.

She needn't have bothered as she soon felt that whatever it was had responded to her and was coming for her. She didn't know exactly _what_ it was, or even _where_ it was, but she knew that it was coming for her- and quickly.

She dropped her firewood and ran, picking up her skirts as she did so. She ran until the breath burned in her throat and then she ran further. She could feel whatever it was chasing her, and she could tell that it was catching up and there was nothing she could do to outrun it.

She stopped dead and though it took all of her effort, she screamed out a spell that Morgause had taught her and that she desperately hoped would work- a transportation spell.

oOo

Incredibly, it worked.

When she opened her eyes and unclenched her fists from her skirts, she was outside the entrance of her cave.

She almost sobbed in joy as she ran inside to see Morgause and to experience the comfort that only her sister gave her.

There indeed was Morgause, still wrapped up in her blankets.

When Morgana came through the entrance and Morgause saw her, she struggled to sit up quickly but collapsed as her arm gave out under the weight of her body. She had yet to recover fully from hers and Morgana's flight from Camelot. Sometimes, she wondered if she ever _would_ recover, she felt so weak. But at least she could pass on her knowledge to her sister.

Morgana rushed to Morgause's side as she fell back to her bed.

"I'm here now sister," she cooed over her, "I'm here." She felt almost as if she were comforting Morgause, but by the way that her heart was pounding, she knew that her sister were providing her just as much comfort, if not more. The devastation was still fresh in her mind from only a few seconds before.

"I felt a terrible danger for you sister," Morgause whispered. "What happened to you?"

Morgana sighed, trying to calm her rapid heartbeat. Then she took a deep breath and told Morgause what she'd seen with the terrible destruction. Morgause lay back and listened quietly until Morgana finished.

She nodded sagely. "That is I am sure what I felt," she said. "But sister, you mustn't do the transportation spell without a proper degree of concentration- it is a very dangerous spell that can easily go wrong."

Morgana nodded, knowing that she was being chided and also knowing that she well deserved it. If she had ended up in the middle of a rock or the cave wall then she would be dead at this moment. The thought would have been a sobering one if she hadn't already been made well aware of her mortality.

oOo


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Echoes**

The sun beat down gently on Merlin's face and it was lovely, but he knew that he and Gaius would have to return home soon- everyone would be wondering where on earth they were and he had promised to help milk the cows. His eyes flickered open at that- he wasn't sure who he had promised that to, nor did he remember making the promise. But he shrugged a little to himself and sat up. He looked around again and saw that Gaius was still snoring slightly, lying in the field surrounded by meadow flowers. Merlin grinned and got up feeling his bones click a little as he'd been asleep for so long. He went over to Gaius and knelt down. He shook his shoulder.

"Gaius," he said softly. No answer. He shook his shoulder harder. "Gaius," he spoke a bit louder now. It took him three attempts before he elicited a response from the older man.

Gaius' eyes opened and blinked as he focused on Merlin. "Ah!" he said, realising where he was.

"I think it's time to go back home now," Merlin said.

He helped Gaius to sit up. "Yes, you're probably right," he sighed a little, although it was only in jest- they had a lovely life back home.

He looked towards home and saw the lovely white mountain caps in the distance. He looked over at Gaius and smiled, then he looked back at the mountains and suddenly they were so much closer. Not that either of them noticed- and they wouldn't have cared if they had. They were on the outskirts of a little village. It was beautiful- there were fields in the distance before they rose to the rocky white mountains. Nearer to the village was a wonderfully kept little orchard and the apples were almost ready for the harvest. A few cows and goats milled around chewing on the grass and the chickens scratched around looking for food. The wheat was nearby and the odd cat eyed up the two men as Merlin and Gaius walked towards the village. People were out working but it was too hot for any real activity. Even the bees buzzed around the flowers in a sort of stupor. Merlin and Gaius walked lazily into the village and waved at the villagers who smiled at them, clearly knowing who they were.

A little black-haired girl of no more than five ran up to them and launched herself at Merlin's knees, clutching his right leg to her and refusing to let go, giggling as she did. He laughed and bent down to extricate himself from her grasp and he picked her up and balanced her on this hip. He looked right into her blue eyes almost sternly and then tickled her relentlessly, laughing as he did at her uncontrollable shrieks. For a second, it occurred to him that it was a little odd that he knew instinctively who she was, but the thought passed him, barely touching his consciousness.

"She looks just like you, you know," Gaius said from next to him, laughing at the little girl's happiness.

"I know," Merlin smiled, "her mother always says so," he said as he put her down when her wriggling got too much for him to keep holding her.

"Come on daddy!" she said, grabbing Merlin's hand and pulling on it to drag him towards a little cottage. Merlin followed her and with an amused expression, Gaius followed him.

As they got to the cottage, the door opened and a woman came out and Merlin's heart soared at seeing her.

"Freya!" he called her, wondering why a part of his heart yearned for her in such a way that made him feel that he had lost her to the other side of the veil. That was a silly thought, he reminded himself, after all, his wife was right here and had been for many years.

She looked up at him when he called her name and she smiled, walking over to him.

"You're home," she said and embraced him. "I'm so glad- can you distract the children while I make dinner? I've been tripping over them all day!"

Merlin looked down at his little five year old daughter who was still holding his hand and desperately trying to look innocent. Merlin raised an eyebrow at her and she giggled and ran away.

"Hunith's been the ringleader I think," Freya said, looking at the five year old as she ran into the cottage, "but Guy and John have been holding their own with mischieviousness."

She looked at Gaius then. "Thank you for looking at Guy's knees," she said to him.

"Not at all," Gaius said, shaking his head. "It is quite normal for a child to get grazes when they're out playing- it's what children _should_ be doing. Cleaning the grazes up is what I am here for after all."

Freya smiled at him fondly. "Even so, thank you- I know he can talk a person's ear off given half the chance."

Gaius leaned in conspiratorially, "he gets that from his father!" and they both laughed while Merlin pretended to have not heard.

Gaius straightened up. He looked over the little road to another little house and saw his Alice outside. She looked up and smiled at him tenderly. "It looks like I've been spotted," Gaius told Freya and Merlin, "so I think it is time for me to head home as well. See you anon," he said to them and he wandered over to his house where he lived a happy life with Alice.

Freya put her arm through Merlin's and they walked into their own home.

oOo


	9. Chapter 9

**Echoes**

**Chapter Nine**

Guinevere was glad that Arthur had given her two knights to accompany her. Neither expected her to stay on watch during their two-day trip to Fealdorn and she wouldn't have wanted to be the only one awake in the middle of the night all by herself. It wasn't that she was scared, and it wasn't that she couldn't handle a weapon herself- her father had seen to it that she knew how to wield a sword, but the ever-present threat of bandits left her uneasy when travelling a long way on her own. Especially when it was constantly raining and it muffled the sound of anyone who might be coming.

It had been a quiet journey for the party of three although Sir Leon had made a little conversation at times. Even so, Guinevere was glad to see the physician working in her herb garden once they had reached Fealdorn.

The party of three dismounted their horses and walked with them in tow towards the small house.

The old woman stood upright when she saw Guinevere and the two knights coming towards her. Sir Leon took Guinevere's horse and tied the three of them to a tree in the little paddock behind the woman's house and then returned.

The woman watched them suspiciously and didn't stop when they stopped at her house.

Guinevere pushed the hood of her cloak back a bit so that the woman could see her face and the expression on the woman's face changed instantly.

"Guinevere! I haven't seen you since you were knee-high!" her old voice croaked, not helped by the rain. "What are you doing here?"

Guinevere smiled, "I was looking for you actually, Naira," she said.

"And your friends?" Naira asked, eyeing up the two knights keeping a respectful distance.

"They're friends," Guinevere reassured her. "They made sure I got to you safely, that's all."

Naira nodded slowly. "Well then, you'd best come inside," she said and gestured for them to get inside her house and out of the rain.

The fire in Naira's hearth was burning brightly and there was a small cauldron of soup keeping warm above it. "Would you like some?" Naira asked as she spied Sir Bors smelling the air. She laughed at him when his stomach rumbled in reply. He had the courtesy to blush. Guinevere hid a smile- Sir Bors was a very young knight and still quite shy in front of the other knights.

Without waiting for a reply, Naira found some bowls and a couple of cups and ladled out some of the broth into them and handed them out. All three of them took the soup willingly. Guinevere remembered that Naira was always a good cook as well as a good physician. She was sure that her food had always had a lot to do with healing people at least as well as her medicines did.

"So," Naira said, swilling her soup around her cup, "what brings you to me?"

Guinevere put her cup down. "There are two men in Camelot who desperately need a physician and though other physicians have been consulted, they have no idea what might be wrong with them."

Naira raised an eyebrow. "But what about Gaius? He was always the best- that is why he is Court Physician, after all."

Guinevere's eyes tightened a little. "Gaius and his apprentice are the two who need help," she admitted.

Naira's mouth made a silent 'o' shape in understanding.

"Will you help?" Guinevere asked her.

Naira glanced at the knights, having their own quiet conversation at the other end of the little house to try and give the two women a little privacy as they spoke. "Why did you have to travel all this way to find another physician? There are some who are closer," she said.

"It's true," Guinevere admitted, "but they were... unhappy... about dealing with this sickness." She leant in a little towards Naira and her tone got even quieter. "There is a possibility that there is magic involved. The last physician wasn't willing to work with magic, and I wondered if maybe you would be...?" she left the sentence unfinished.

Naira sat back and exhaled. She swilled the soup in her cup again and lifted it to her lips, drinking slowly. Guinevere copied her.

They were quiet for a few moments and all that could be heard were the two knights in the other corner talking quietly and the sound of the rain pattering on the roof.

"I will help you and those men," Naira eventually said. Guinevere immediately let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "But I want it so that no one knows who I am, so we'll call me... Sara. I want even you to use the name Sara. I don't want to be caught by a Pendragon later on and executed because I worked with magic- even if it was to save someone's life. Uther wouldn't see it like that. He only sees it as evil, no matter what."

Guinevere nodded in agreement, even as she answered, feeling the need to stand up for Arthur at least. "Prince Arthur is not like his father though," she told Naira _-no, Sara_, she reminded herself.

"Even so," Naira said, "I'd rather not risk it. But I can't leave someone to suffer, so I'll do it. Especially Gaius," she added. "He's a good man."

Guinevere nodded, agreeing with her entirely. Gaius was one of the best and most honourable men she had ever met. "So, Sara it is then. And Sir Leon and Sir Bors over there didn't hear your actual name, so that makes things easier already." She said, looking over at them. Sir Leon caught her eye and she nodded at him.

He nodded back, once, slowly and left with Sir Bors who had happily finished Naira's soup and washed his and Sir Leon's bowls before he left to check on the horses.

"What do you need?" Guinevere asked 'Sara'.

oOo

It wasn't long before the four of them were travelling back to Camelot with Naira on her own horse. It was already starting to get dark as they did- it wasn't that late in the year really, though it was after harvest, but the dark rain clouds brought the night in earlier than normal.

"Let's make camp for the night," Sir Leon said. "Bors- find some firewood and get a fire lit."

Sir Bors vanished to do his tasks, although they could all hear him nearby as he didn't wander too far away. As he came back and tried to light the fire, it made Guinevere feel sad that Merlin wasn't there doing it for them. It was his normal role whenever they went out- he would always tend to the chores while Arthur teased him for something. She glanced at Naira who was making a little stew for them all and she only hoped that Naira could do something for her friends.

oOo

As dawn broke, they awoke, had the leftover stew warmed up and then got on their way towards Camelot. They got there in the early evening and Guinevere took Naira straight up to Gaius' chambers. Sir Bors took the horses to the stable boy and Sir Leon went to report to Arthur. As such, Arthur arrived at Gaius' chambers not long after Guinevere and Naira did.

He walked in as Naira was looking Merlin and Gaius over.

"Arthur!" Guinevere said as she saw him, only just restraining herself from rushing over to him. Instead, she smiled her brightest smile at him.

"Guinevere!" He replied, "did you have a safe journey?"

"Yes we did," she gestured. "Arthur, meet... Sara."

Naira turned to look at Arthur. "Sire," and she bowed her head in respect.

"Thank you for coming," he said. "Has Guinevere told you about the patients and the situation?"

"Yes she has Sire, and I've had a few moments to have a look at them, although we really have just walked through the door."

"I appreciate that Sara," Arthur said, "but any help you could give us would really help Camelot."

Naira looked back at the two men on the cotbeds. "Well Sire, I would say that magic _was_ used here, but I need further study to identify how or what it might be. I don't think it was a curse," she added.

Arthur nodded. "Of course, do what you need to do. Gaius' books are full of information and Geoffrey of Monmouth holds the records of the kingdom and the histories. He is at your disposal, should you need any more help."

"And I will be helping you too Sara," Guinevere said, walking to Naira's side, removing her cloak and putting hers and Naira's cloak in front of the fire to dry off.

Arthur nodded again and turned to leave, but not before catching Guinevere's eye and sharing a look with her.

oOo


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Flashes before her eyes that she barely remembered but scared her nonetheless.

The destructive Horror was before her, consuming her and she felt her magic leave her moments before her life also abandoned her- it was like having her heart ripped out of her and watching it pump once before she died in agony.

She tossed and turned in her sleep, her sweat drenching her before she terror threw her awake screaming into the cave.

Morgana felt her heart pounding, even as she felt Morgause next to her stroking her face to try and calm her. After a few seconds, it did the job and Morgana felt her heart rate dropping to a more normal beat.

"You're out of your bed!" Morgana suddenly realised sitting up.

"You needed comfort dear sister," Morgause said simply.

"But... at least let me help you return to bed," Morgana insisted.

"No sister, let me just rest here by your side for a bit- it is good to be out for a little while. Now," she said, changing the subject, "tell me what you saw in your dream."

Morgana sat back and straightened the blanket she lay under as she spoke. "I saw the Horror and all of the devastation that it caused and... and it got _me_. It was terrible. It took away my magic before it killed me. I honestly think that it taking my magic away was more painful than dying. I don't remember much else, but that on it's own was beyond any fear I have ever experienced."

Morgause looked puzzled for a moment. "It is not your time to die sister for I have scried your future and seen you in great battles and with a great destiny."

"Show me," Morgana asked of her sister, needing proof as she was still very much shaken by her nightmares.

Morgause stood up unsteadily and Morgana got out of her bed and helped Morgause to her own bed.

"Bring me the crystal on the shelf over there," she said, pointing to the other side of the room once Morgana had her safely lying down.

Morgana went to Morgause's belongings which were immaculately kept in her little part of the cave. There, she saw the little pouch which held Morgause's crystal which she used to see things in. As a High Priestess, Morgause could control what she saw in her crystal, as opposed to Morgana who couldn't control her dreams. She picked it up and took it over to her sister.

"It is interesting that your dream was so powerful that no charm that I have cast over you could stop it," Morgause said as she took the crystal from Morgana and took it from it's pouch.

Neither of them said any more as Morgause looked into her crystal.

"Ætíe mé þá þé ic séce," Morgause said, focusing her powers on scrying. Morgana watched her sister as she stared into the crystal, both of them mesmerised.

For several minutes, Morgana just sat there, watching her sister, not seeing anything, but sensing that Morgause was seeing so much. Eventually, Morgause's eyes closed and she sat back, her hand holding the crystal dropping into her lap and she relaxed.

Morgana tried desperately to not force her sister to give her any information before she was ready, but she really _really_ wanted to know what it was that she had seen in the crystal.

Morgause opened her eyes.

"What did you see?" Morgana asked.

"I saw the plague, or the Horror as you called it, crossing over the land without any discrimination. It did terrible things and destroyed all life and magic and all that was left in it's wake was death and nothingness. It was Horror indeed."

Morgana's heart rate instantly increased.

"I also saw that serving boy- Merlin- unconscious in Camelot and helpless along with the old man Gaius, although I don't know if it connected. Usually, when one sees things in the crystal, there are connections to be made with almost everything that is shown." Morgause paused. "Can you get me some water please sister?"

Morgana stood up and got a bowl and filled it with the rain water which they had collected from the many days of rain they'd had and returned to Morgause.

She helped her to drink a few mouthfuls before Morgause was satisfied.

"How did you first find out that you had magic?" her sister asked her.

Morgana set the bowl down and stared at it without seeing it. She remembered the fear she'd had in those times and how she'd wake just as Gwen would rush to her side.

"Candles," she said simply. "I would light candles in my sleep. Once, it set the curtains alight."

Morgause nodded slowly. They talked for a quite some time before they fell silent.

"And your nightmares have become worse again recently, have they not sister?" Morgause finally said.

"Yes," Morgana admitted quietly.

"The same sort of dream?"

"Yes," Morgana said again.

They became silent and Morgana helped her sister to drink a little more water before Morgause looked her straight in the eye and said something that shocked and scared Morgana to her very core.

"I wonder if _you_ didn't create this, sister," she told her.

Morgana's heart fell through her stomach and she felt confused and sick at the same time. "What? How?" she asked her sister, thoroughly confused.

Morgause stared at her straight through to her soul. "Your magic is powerful, but it is also untamed at times, especially in your sleep. It is your base talent and how you discovered that you are who you are. You are easily able to become a High Priestess of the Old Religion and with that comes the magic that is powerful enough to wield that title. I think, although I am not yet _sure_, that you are the one who created this Horror, this destruction that plagues the land."

Morgana fell both silent and deathly pale, her stomach sinking and a _full_ sort of feeling in the back of her throat. She couldn't comprehend what she was being told, and the implication of what Morgause had just told her chilled her to her core.

oOo


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

It was baking day in the village and the women were hard at work. The men were out on their farm lands tending to the food for the village for the next year.

The children were getting under everyone's feet and those that were too young to go and help on the land were sent off on other errands to stop them from tasting the baking before it was ready for anyone else. Merlin had to admit to himself that he was tempted himself to pinch one of Freya's hot breads as she set them out to cool on the side, but, as the dutiful father, he instead took his young children out to the pastures to show them how to look after the animals that the village tended to.

He held on to Hunith's hand with one hand as they walked with a milking stool in his other hand, and the two boys ran on ahead, tripping over their own feet and making enough noise to wake the dead with their laughing. Hunith carried the pail for the milk.

"You must be quiet in front of the goats otherwise they'll run away from you!" Merlin told his sons, raising his voice so that he could be heard over their whooping.

As they neared the goat, she raised her head and eyed the little boys who were running towards her. She was tempted to bolt, but she recognised Merlin behind them as the one who fed her the most often, so she stayed put. But she kept the boys in sight.

Guy and John did at least quieten down as they neared the goat. John, being the older of the two slowed down as he got to her, then ripped up some of the juicy long grass and offered it to her, moving towards her at a much more gentle step. The goat took a step towards him and stretched out her neck to take a sniff at the green stuff he was holding and, realising that it was lovely tender grass, she took another step forwards and chomped the grass from his hand. John stretched out his hand and stroked her ears gently.

Guy came up next to him and stroked the goat's neck a little timidly. His foot still remembered the time that she stepped on it and he was a little nervous around her.

Merlin and Hunith came up behind them and he put the stool down next to her and Hunith handed him the pail which he put under the goat. He then started milking her, showing his children the best way to do it so as not to disturb the goat while he worked.

They were good students and he knew they were paying attention, but he still raised his eyes to make sure that they were every now and then.

He was nearly done milking when he looked up to check on Guy to his right when his eye caught the sky and it was raining.

The clouds were nearly as black as night and the rain was torrential, pouring down.

He blinked, surprised, but as he blinked, everything suddenly went back to how it was before. The sun was beautiful and the skies were the bluest they had ever been and the warmth of the summer beat down on his back as he hunched over the milking pail.

He frowned.

"What the-?" he said, mumbling. "What just happened?"

"What is it father?" Hunith asked him.

"When did it start raining?" he asked, looking at the sky again and realising that it was a silly question as it clearly wasn't raining, but he couldn't deny what he saw.

"Silly daddy," Guy laughed at him, "it isn't raining! We are all dry in the sunny sun!" And he held out his arms for Merlin to see, palms up. His arms and hands were completely dry. Merlin looked at the ground. It was bone dry too.

"Did you see it rain just then?" he asked his children.

"No," came three responses, along with vigorous head-shaking.

"When... when did it last rain?" Merlin asked his children, sure that he had seen it rain just then.

John laughed. "Silly father! It never rains here! And it didn't rain just now either. You are funny!" And he giggled, with Guy and Hunith joining in with him.

Merlin realised that they were right- it _didn't_ ever rain in their village, and yet, somehow, the harvest was always perfect and they never ran out of water.

He shook his head. Maybe he'd been in the sun too long. He'd talk to Gaius about it later and he'd tell him the exact same thing- that he had caught the sun.

He finished with the milking and gave the goat a stroke and an apple which she graciously accepted with a crunch. He had John carry the stool back while he took the now-full pail of milk. When she wasn't making medicines and tinctures, Alice could make a wonderful cheese out of goat's milk.

John walked by his side on the way home while Hunith and Guy ran ahead, playing. He contemplated the beautiful day.

As Merlin listened to John telling him about a particularly large butterfly he'd seen with speckles, he completely forgot about the rain and that it had ever existed.

oOo


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Naira sat at Gaius' table, and pored over his books and manuscripts, several of which Geoffrey of Monmouth had brought to her from the Library.

There were so many possibilities that came from the books, but none of them were quite right. She had tried several tinctures and smelling salts and had even tried a few spells when she was sure she was alone. Nothing had brought any sort of reaction from either men.

It was frustrating.

She stood up and went and looked at the boy Merlin.

There had been a time when she had been called a witch, but she had followed Gaius' route and had become a physician during the time of the Great Purge. Luckily, she was well liked and respected in her village so she hadn't been betrayed by anyone whom she had tended to when she used magic.

But she had had enough talent for her base magic to lay dormant within her and because of that, she could feel it when it was close, and she felt it in Merlin. Powerful magic, and she didn't think it lay dormant within him.

She glanced over at Gaius and she smiled fondly. They had been friends many years ago, before she left Camelot to help people who had no physician near them. She knew his connection to magic. They had both witnessed celebrations and traditions performed by the High Priestesses of old and Naira missed those times. She held a grudge towards Uther and the royal family of Camelot, but they had nothing to fear from her. She could never harm anyone or anything.

Her gaze returned to Merlin and she tilted her head to the side, contemplating him. She had to admit to herself that she had more respect for the Crown Prince than for his father. She wondered if Uther would have bothered to find more than one physician to help save two common people.

As she stared at Merlin, she saw a little twitch at the corner of his eyes. A quick tightening and his eyelids flickered as if they might open- just for a split second.

Naira dove forwards to look at him closely.

"Merlin?" she asked quietly.

No response.

"Merlin?" she said, louder.

His face had settled and looked exactly as it did before.

She gave him a little shake as if that would be enough to wake him up in spite of everything else she had tried.

Nothing.

She stood up and frowned.

Something had certainly bothered the boy and he had looked nearly ready to wake up.

She returned to the books to try another tack.

oOo


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

_The plague went forth. _

_For a brief moment, it had found it's creator in the forest. She was there, but she hadn't recognised it. It went towards her, desperate to reach out, but she had suddenly disappeared, just like the extraordinarily magical being had disappeared near that magical community. _

_It had managed, though, to touch her mind and her soul, however briefly, and it had seen her will and her intentions. It knew that she wanted Camelot and all that was within it to be destroyed. And so, at the will of it's creator, it did what she wanted. It followed the map of her mind and it made it's way towards the the great city of Camelot. _

_It was a little confused as to why it's creator would want such a city- there was very little magic there. But it went forth anyway and consumed everything in it's path. _

oOo


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Sister, come to me," she heard Morgause say.

She had just finished making some rabbit broth for their dinner, so Morgana took over the two bowls of hot soup to her sister and helped her to sit up to eat.

Morgause welcomed the help of her sister, but once they'd finished, she pierced Morgana with a stare that made Morgana pay attention to her.

"There are some ancient Priestesses- the most holy of our kind, sister- you must remember this and pay them due respect. They are the mouthpiece for the Triple Goddess herself." Morgause shifted slightly.

"Go on," Morgana encouraged her.

"They are called the Disir, and they are extremely powerful, and knowledgeable. I believe that they can tell you what you need to know about this plague- this _Horror_."

Morgause struggled for a moment. She managed to get her left hand over to her right hand and pulled off a plain ring from her finger.

"Take this to them," Morgause instructed Morgana, giving it to her. "It is a token of peace and friendship. It will show them that you mean no harm."

Morgana took the ring and nodded. She studied the ring. It really was quite plain- the only feature it had was a series of small indentations all around the middle of the silver band.

"It was our mother's," Morgause told her. "The Disir will recognise it as it once belonged to them."

Morgana's head whipped round to meet her sister's.

"Our mother knew the Disir?" she asked, astonished.

Morgause smiled at her. "That is a story for another time, dear sister." She shifted again and grimaced a little. "And a time that probably will not be too long in coming."

Morgana frowned, concerned for Morgause. "Are you in pain?"

"Only as much as I have been recently," Morgause admitted. "You must go and see the Disir now, and then hurry back to me. They are at a sacred pool near the White Mountains. You will know where to find them when you are nearby- their presence is a feeling that a magical being cannot ignore."

Morgana nodded and got up, gathering her cloak in the process and stoking the fire to keep Morgause warm while she was gone.

Checking on the ring and with one last look at her sister, she left the cave.

oOo

It took some time for Morgana to walk the distance to the White Mountains and it was nearing dark as she got there, although it was now raining properly again so the dark clouds overhead which were lower than the white caps of the mountains made it seem later than it was.

She realised that Morgause had been right- Morgana could indeed feel the power and the pull of the Disir's magic. It was... an odd feeling, Morgana decided. Not quite comforting, but there was definitely the feeling of belonging and... _rightness_ about the place.

The ground was damp and her booted feet sunk into the mossy dell that lay on the path to the Disir's cave. The drips at the front of the cave were almost a constant stream from the rain and Morgana shivered as many of them fell down the back of her neck, but once she was inside, it was surprisingly dry. Even near the entrance. Morgana wondered if it was magic that made it that way. The dead leaves on the ground crunched under her footsteps and made a satisfying sound that made Morgana feel a little nostalgic, much to her surprise. She had many a happy memory of autumnal days with her father- her _real_ father, not Uther, and even days with Arthur, where they would crunch leaves underfoot as they went out walking or collecting blackberries, or some other such childish endeavour.

She shook her head and walked on, remembering why she was there and that there was very little time for visiting such memories.

There was very little time for any such memories these days. Or desire.

She slowly walked further in, taking care not to touch the artefacts or the sacred relics that hung from the walls and ceilings. She eventually got to the inner chamber of the cave which, despite the pool in the centre and the darkness of the place, was curiously warm. Morgana was glad for it as the rain had chilled her.

She saw three witches in front of her- the Disir. For a moment, she felt nothing but awe for the women in front of her, and then she remembered herself. She bowed on one knee, low to the ground and held out the silver ring that Morgause had given to her.

"My name is Morgana, and I come with this token of peace and friendship to ask for your advice and wisdom," she told them in a clear voice.

"We are the Disir," the three women in front of her said in unison,

"Niede,"

"Atorloppe,"

"Befelen," they said, introducing themselves to their own kind, one after the other.

"You are the spawn of Uther Pendragon, vile murderer of all that magic is and all that it stands for," they finished in unison again.

Morgana's head flashed up, cracking her bones as she moved. "But I am not his daughter!" she said vehemently. "I am my _mother's_ daughter and I have cursed the day that I found out that I was Uther's child."

The woman on Morgana's left laughed, but it wasn't a kind laugh- it was a laugh that seemed dry and dusty from ages of having not been used. "We know this," she said.

"We have seen it," the woman in the middle of the group said.

"And we know why you come here," the third woman on the right said.

"We are the Disir, and we know all," the woman in the middle said.

Morgana stayed bowed on her one knee, but she looked each woman in the eye so that they could see that she meant what she said.

"I have no love for Uther Pendragon. He is my sworn enemy," she told them, the passion obvious in every word she said.

Atorloppe stood proudly and taller than the others from her perch in the middle of the group. "You come to us in reverence for wisdom, and we shall give it to you."

"You have honoured our relics," Niede, on Morgana's left said, nodding her head sagely.

"And you have honoured _us_," Befelen on the right said.

"And so, Morgan Le Fay," Atorloppe carried on, "your sister Morgause was correct- you begat this plague in your sleep. Your magic is uncontrollable and you must learn control. Your passion will be your undoing and it will be your madness if you do not learn control."

"But..." Morgana stuttered, looking around beseechingly at the three women, "I don't know _how_!" She went to stand, but then she remembered herself and stayed exactly where she was, despite the cramp that was creeping into her leg.

"You fear it," Niede said.

"Yes!" Morgana said, a desperation starting to sound in her voice. "I felt it in the forest! It pulled on my soul like something I had never felt before. It felt like I was losing myself and that I was dying in the worst way imaginable!"

"You are the one who must destroy this Horror, Morgana," Atorloppe told her, ignoring the desperation sounding in the young woman's voice. "And you must learn control."

"It craves magic and will seek it out before every anything else," Befelen said.

"Or it would, had it's goal not changed when it met with your mind in the forest," Niede added.

"What- what do you mean?" Morgana asked them, fearing the answer.

"Our reality, as we know it, has changed. Destinies have been rewritten and the future is not as it once was. The Horror now heads towards Camelot- towards the very place that you would see claimed as your own."

"But I. Don't. Know. What. To. _Do_!" Morgana said slowly, but with frustration laced in her voice.

"If you do nothing, then it will destroy everything in the land," Atorloppe warned her. "All will be doomed."

"In Camelot, there is a vault where Uther keeps his magical treasures," Befelen said. "A powerful amulet is in there, locked away to gather dust when in fact, it is one of the only things that can help you in your quest. It was hidden there during the Purge and if you have it in your possession, it can focus your powers and help you grow stronger."

"It was a useful tool to train a Priestess," Niede told her. "But only an initiate could use it- it is a sacred item."

"With this amulet, you have a chance to control and amplify your magic and only _then_ do you have a chance to defeat the Horror which you have created." Atorloppe told her, somewhat to the point.

Morgana felt ashamed. "I did not _mean_ to create this," she told them. "I would not see magic harmed for anything."

"We know this, Morgana," Niede said, sounding almost motherly. "But it is still up to you to see that it is destroyed."

"I don't want Camelot to be destroyed," Morgana told them. "I merely want what is rightfully _mine_ and what has been denied me all my life by the Pendragons. They do not even deserve that name!" she spat out, "they have done evil to all magical creatures and the dragons no longer even exist!" She looked at the three women, a madness blossoming in her eyes and in her expression. They could see many of the paths of her futures, and they were dangerous. But they said nothing.

"I want Camelot for myself so that I may be Queen and bring magic back to the realm, but I would not have the lands destroyed. Never!"

"Then heed our words!" The Disir said in unison again, "Heed our words, oh daughter of Vivienne!"

Morgana bowed and almost wanted to ask them about her mother and how they knew her name, but she stopped herself. There were other things to think about and do- getting into Camelot unseen was one of those things- and Morgause had promised to tell her the story of her mother soon enough anyway.

She bowed again and left the cave, making sure on the way out that she didn't touch the relics.

It hadn't stopped raining.

oOo

When she returned to the cave, as the morning was starting to lighten the sky, she found her sister fast asleep by the dying embers of the fire.

She made some food while Morgause slept and brought it over to the bed just as Morgause was stirring.

"I've made some breakfast," she told her. She helped her to sit up and to eat.

"What did the Disir say?" Morgause asked her between mouthfuls.

It took a while, but Morgana told her.

Morgause sat quietly and listened. This always comforted Morgana. Her sister was such a calming force, but strong still. And she always knew what to do as well. Morgana looked at her frail form. She didn't know what she'd do without her sister at her side, teaching her the ways of the High Priestesses.

"If you were indeed able to get into the vaults of Camelot, then you would have access to an unimaginable treasure trove of sacred magical items," Morgause said. "And _if_ you were able to take the magical items in Camelot's vaults, then there would be very little stopping you taking the throne while you were there." She glanced at her sister. "What do you think, sister?"

Morgana's mouth fell open. She hadn't considered that.

"Think on it sister," Morgause carried on. "Uther is an invalid and Arthur is unprepared, although we shouldn't underestimate him."

"Or Merlin," Morgana reminded her. "He is always there, ready to foil our plans."

Morgause smiled. "I have been told of a good many of the items that have been hidden in Camelot's vaults. If even half of them are there, then everyone will bow to you, including this serving boy. You will be able to destroy this plague and take your rightful place on the throne all in one fell swoop."

Morgana smiled, uneasily, but she smiled nonetheless. "I need to get into Camelot first," she said.

"We will find a way, dear sister," Morgause said, ever-confident.

oOo


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Gaius was chopping the herbs on the heavy wooden table in the little house that he and his wife Alice had. Alice was sitting in a rocking chair nearby practising some incantations.

They had a very happy little household and constantly challenged each other with various conversations of a intellectual nature.

At that particular moment in time, and between incantations, they were discussing the best uses for the elderberry. Alice, Gaius thought fondly, had a penchant for turning it into a liqueur- "strictly for medicinal purposes", she had told him with a wink.

Gaius knew that many of the villagers used it in celebration when mead wasn't special enough, but they both knew that it was also an excellent remedy for treating pain, infections, and when served hot, was very good for colds.

There were a good many elderberry trees and bushes on the borderline of the forests and so many of the villagers made batches of the cordial, but everyone knew that Alice's was the best.

Alice had carried on incanting while Gaius chopped a little more rosemary. He listened to her speak for a while but suddenly, he felt dizzy. He put a hand out on the table to support himself, not really noticing when Alice stopped talking and got up to help him.

"Gaius!" she said, "are you alright?" She put her arms around him to support him.

She looked at him and he had gone very pale and had closed his eyes.

She pulled him to the stool that she had been sitting on and made him sit in it. He didn't open his eyes.

All Gaius felt was that the world had suddenly gone fuzzy and the air felt damp, like it had been raining non-stop for several days on end. His body and clothes felt sodden like he'd been lying in a marsh. But clearly he was mistaken because even with her arms around him, Alice hadn't felt anything odd.

"Gaius, speak to me," she said, bending over to look him directly in his face.

She was about to go over the road to find Merlin to help her when Gaius responded.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, smiling a little. "Do not fear my dear," he told her. "This body is merely starting to feel it's age. Or maybe I'm just tired."

Alice looked at him for a bit longer but eventually nodded and stood up, clearing away their things.

"It is probably because I've been sitting down for so long and making you stand. I should get young John the carpenter to make us another chair or a bench."

Gaius looked at her, already feeling better. "Another bench would be nice," he admitted. "It would make chopping herbs a _little_ more comfortable."

Alice cleared the herbs into a jar and put them on a little shelf that young John had made for them some years earlier.

"I know something that will make you feel young again!" Alice said, brightening considerably.

"What's that my dear?" he asked her.

"Your son told me that he would be arriving to visit us soon, and he says that he will bring with him your grandson as well."

Gaius' smile was very large indeed, "that will be nice! Although seeing little Adam does have a tendency to wear me out even more. I'm sure that boy has far too much energy for his age!"

Alice laughed at him "You said the same thing about Merlin when he was a boy- always so talkative. You told him he'd wear his tongue out using it so much!"

Gaius laughed, although just at that moment, he suddenly couldn't for the life of him remember who Merlin's parents were who used to laugh with him about the child Merlin. The damp feeling started to return until Gaius shook his head and the little and the lovely dry room with his wonderful wife came back.

He blinked and suddenly, it was later in the day and Alice was cooking some stew for their dinner and talking, but for the life of him, Gaius couldn't tell what it was she was talking about.

He nodded along though like he had known all along, and after a few minutes, he was sure that he _did_ know.

They both looked up though when the door to their cottage opened up and in walked a tall middle-aged man with the features of both Alice and Gaius in his face.

A small boy pushed around the man's legs and ran towards Gaius and jumped in his lap.

"Oomph!" was the only noise that Gaius made, but he laughed as the boy threw his arms around the older man's neck.

"Hullo granddad!" he said.

"Hullo my boy," Gaius said, straining a little under the weight of the fast-growing boy. "Jump off and say hullo to your grandmother," he said, encouraging him by pushing slightly.

The boy thought nothing of it and willingly jumped off to run over to Alice who bent down to kiss her grandson on his head.

She straightened up to embrace her son. "Hullo Leo," she said, tilting her head for him to kiss her cheek.

"How are you mother?" he asked her, and then turned to his father to squeeze his shoulder as Gaius was still sitting.

Young Adam sat on the floor by Gaius' feet and leant forwards towards the stew cooking in the cauldron over the fire.

Gaius stroked Adam's head, making sure that he didn't go too near to the fire in his quest to smell his grandmother's cooking, but he was listening to Alice and Leo talk.

"Did you do well in your hunting?" Alice asked him.

Leo nodded. "A few rabbits for your stew pot," he told her. "You've only just started cooking, haven't you?"

"Yes, so there are a few hours yet. Are the rabbits outside?"

"Yes," he said and then he turned to his son, "Adam, would you go and get the rabbits please?"

Adam got up and nodded, running out, struggling a little with the latch on the door.

Leo watched him go out before he started talking again. "I've met someone," he said tentatively.

Both Alice and Gaius looked up at him.

"Oh?" Alice said, simply.

"Well, since Mary died, Adam has been without any motherly influences and I think it would be good for him to have a mother. And there is a woman in the next village along that I've been selling the things I've hunted. Mary... like I said," he said, tailing off a little and rubbing the back of his neck.

"That would be wonderful my boy!" Gaius said, standing up to give his son a hug.

"Yes," he said, hugging his father and then turning to do the same for his mother.

Gaius was smiling so much and then he turned to sit back down again. He heard the door open and Adam run back in again but Gaius blinked and everything went a little fuzzy for him and all of a sudden, he was standing on the outskirts of the village with Merlin.

"What?" Gaius said, half to himself, half to Merlin, as he looked around.

It was still sunny but neither of them could see anyone else.

"I don't remember walking out here," Merlin told him.

Gaius looked him in the eye. "Neither do I Merlin, neither do I."

oOo


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

_It knew it was getting closer and it couldn't wait. _

_A great city filled with things to consume and there was magic... magic all over that city after all. It hadn't felt it before. It was all so well hidden.  
_

_It felt the magic all around it as it destroyed everything in it's path and the magic it consumed filled it and was building up inside it making it want more and more. _

_It still hungered after the extraordinary magical being that it had felt not long after it's conception but it had felt the mind of it's creator now and so it did her bidding, what little of it it had understood... _

oOo


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

"Our mother once told me something, dear sister," Morgause said to Morgana suddenly, breaking the silence.

Morgana had managed to find a little wooden cart to make it easier for her to move her sister around. It was hardly befitting of a High Priestess to be dragged around in a cart like cargo, but Morgana knew that it would be necessary.

Because of the cart, Morgana had managed to move her to the entrance of their cave so that she and her sister could have some fresh air. They sat under the shelter of the entrance wrapped up in blankets and watched the rain as it fell.

Morgana looked at her sister when she spoke, but she said nothing.

Morgause didn't look at her when she spoke up again, quietly. She was feeling her illness creeping up upon her since the boy Merlin and Gauis attacked her in Camelot and it took a lot of effort these days for her to be able to speak.

"She spoke of the many things that Uther had in Camelot- the treasures, the allies, the sorcerers. She told me about Uther's friendship with Nimueh and how he had once respected and admired magical users." she paused and took the time to take a few deep breaths. "She told me about some of the magical treasures that Camelot has always had- long before the great Purge and all of the items that were taken away from people and confiscated- because there were a great many things that Camelot had to keep the kingdom safe. When Nimueh and the other sorcerers ran away from Camelot after the purge, so few of them were able to rescue the magical artefacts." She coughed. "One of these things, dear sister, was an amulet. I am sure that it is this amulet that the Disir were telling you about."

Morgause shifted to her side, waving off the help that Morgana offered.

The sisters looked at each other.

"Unlike the Disir though, dear sister, our mother told me what the amulet was like, so I can help you with that at least, even if I can no longer help you in person."

Morgana smiled at her tenderly. "You always help me sister. You provide me with the comfort that I have not felt since before our mother and father died."

Morgause smiled and reached our her hand which Morgana clasped, gently but firmly.

For a moment, the two sisters sat there like that, savouring each other's companionship.

"This amulet," Morgause finally said, "was of a beauty that could compare with nothing else. It was gold, in the shape of an almond and it would fit inside the palm of a child. It had a golden chain and the amulet had several precious stones in it in a crescent shape that would let the light shine through. The stones were each a different colour and even though they let the light shine through them, they seemed also as if they would glow with their own inner light." Morgause gave a small, dry laugh. "Of course, sometimes mother's stories could be a little fanciful and she embellished a few things."

Morgana's eyes fell from her sister's. She wished that she remembered that. Then she looked up again. "I am sure that she wouldn't embellish things like that- not magical things. She must have known that what she was telling you was important and that it might be desperately important one day. These are not things that get embellished," she finished.

Morgause smiled widely at her sister, although the smile was made lopsided by the scars that now ran down the side of her beautiful face. Morgana admired her sister's strength- Morgause rarely thought about her beauty and used it solely as a tool to get powerful men to do what she wanted. There were so many things she could get a man to do for her without any mention or hint of magic at all. _Now _that_ was strength and power_, Morgana thought.

"So now I have to get into Camelot, get into the vaults, and find this amulet," she said. "No mean feat." She looked at Morgause. "At least you have made it so much easier for me," she said, and she gently squeezed Morgause's hand.

Morgause didn't have the strength to return the squeeze, so she rubbed her thumb over the back of Morgana's hand instead.

"But we still need a plan," Morgause told her. "After all, you cannot walk into Camelot looking like you do."

She eyed Morgana up, scrutinizing her.

"First of all, we need you to be able to use the transporting spell safely. Let us start there."

Morgana agreed and stood up.

oOo

It took them most of the day, but by the end of it, Morgana was able to use her sister's transporting spell safely. It had admittedly taken a few attempts- she had nearly half transported herself into the cave wall. Morgause was powerful enough to realise Morgana's mistake in pronouncing the spell and rescued her from it.

"It is _so particular_," Morgana said, frustrated, at one point as it was starting to get dark.

Morgause nodded, "particular yes, but it is extremely important also that you get it right- one mispronounced word and you could be dead- encased within the earth and unable to move or take a breath to correct your mistake. That would be a painful and horrendous death indeed. So it is absolutely imperative that you get it absolutely right."

Morgana pictured that for a moment and then calmed down. She nodded, seeing her sister's wisdom, and then tried again.

Many more attempts later and she had it.

She sat down next to Morgause, exhausted.

"Now I see why you were so worried when I used it when I first discovered the Horror."

Morgause looked at her and nodded sagely. "Yes- you were very lucky that nothing happened to you. But I think you have it now. I think you can now use it in any situation and you will be safe." She smiled widely again at her sister. "You are a good student sister!"

Morgana smiled back. "Come on, I think it has long been due for me to make us some dinner."

She settled Morgause on the little wooden cart and wheeled her back into the cave and got her back into her bed. She stoked up their fire and set some of the previously-made stew into the cauldron to warm up.

She ladled it out into two bowls and took it to Morgause and sat on the edge of her bed to eat her share.

Morgause ate a spoonful and then set her bowl down into her lap. "I think we need to come up with a proper plan sister," she told Morgana. "You need a disguise."

"Will I have any help?" Morgana asked her, thinking of when Morgause had turned up with her tenuous allies to lay waste to Camelot beforehand.

"No sister, I was a fool to place even the smallest amount of trust in Cenred and his men. You will travel alone. A single person can move without suspicion whereas an army wouldn't be able to move at all. A lone woman in a good disguise can get further than anyone else, especially someone with the knowledge of Camelot like you have."

Morgana looked at her dubiously.

"I'm sure that whatever disguise I used, I would be recognised. I grew up with Arthur after all, and Gwen was my maidservant. They know me better than anyone else apart from you, dear sister, and I'm sure that they could recognise my mannerisms and my voice, no matter _how_ good a disguise I wore."

"Do not fear sister- I have complete faith in you. You are a very powerful magic user. We will use magic to change your looks so completely that you yourself would have problems recognising you!"

Morgana blinked, confused. "_Is_ there magic so powerful?"

Morgause laughed her dry, choking laugh again. "There is magic that can do things that neither you nor even _I_ could ever imagine," she said. "Magic holds everything together- it is the fabric of the universe and with it, anything is possible." Her face went sombre. "And this is why it is so desperately important that we stop the Horror and prevent it from doing anything else to the land. We may hate the people who rule Camelot, but Camelot itself is a sacred land and it holds the birthplace of magic and all holy places like that. It _must_ be saved, which is why you must do this sister. My only regret is that I can only help you so far."

Morgana nodded slowly. She felt the weight of responsibility heavily on her shoulders and on her soul. _She_ had done this- the Disir had comfirmed Morgause's suspicions- and she must save them all and all magic from her own damaged mind.

"Am I a monster?" she asked her sister quietly.

Morgause frowned in consternation and leaned forwards to take her sister's hand in her own. "No!" she said. "Never. You are a wonderful and powerful sorceress, and there is nothing wrong with that." she lay back down, but not before she made sure that Morgana looked her directly in the eye. "You are no monster. You are a High Priestess of the Old Religion and you are a sacred person who should be worshipped for the power you hold. Never- _ever_- think of yourself as a monster! It is Uther who did this. If he hadn't railed so against magic when Ygraine died then it wouldn't have become something to be afraid of and to resent and you would have had proper tuition from the earliest age and you wouldn't have had all the trials you have. Mark my words dear sister- it is Uther's fault, and never ever your own. You _must_ remember that."

She spoke with such power that Morgana started to believe her, but the guilt that welled within her didn't fully die, but it did lift a little. She knew she would just have to do her part and destroy the Horror before it destroyed Camelot.

They finished their stew.

Morgana took away their bowls and pottered about, not really doing anything, but keeping her hands busy as her mind played with all of her thoughts.

"Sister," she heard from Morgause.

She took a breath before she turned around.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Your disguise," Morgause said simply.

Morgana nodded and went over to the bed.

"There is a way to do completely change the appearance of a person if more than one sorcerer is involved. It is magic of the highest order and when I am gone-"

"Don't say that!" Morgana said, shocked that her sister would think in such a morbid way.

Morgause smiled at her. "Sister, that is inevitable, but while I am here, I will help you in whatever way I possibly can." She cleared her throat, but it didn't make much difference to the dryness she felt that was constantly there in the back of her throat. She wondered idly if her throat had been damaged when they'd fled Camelot. "When I am gone, you won't be able to do this unless you find another powerful sorcerer who has the same knowledge. Come here," she said. Morgana went over to her and took her outstretched hands which Morgause offered her. "There is a spell which when said perfectly together, can change the fabric of a person's appearance until the people who made the spell are together again to change it back. You need more than one sorcerer so that you may join your magic together to make such a powerful spell. It is not a natural thing we are doing, after all."

She taught Morgana the spell. It took a little while as Morgana was still exhausted from the transportation spell she had spent most of the day mastering.

Eventually, with barely a breath left to say the words, Morgana spoke the words she had learned. "Nu bebiede ic þe þæt þu lætest þine flæsc sclice gelic nysse."

Morgana instantly felt strange. She knew she was changing- it felt like her skin was crawling like she had stepped in an ants' nest and that they had started to crawl up her body. She felt it in her hair tickling and she desperately wanted to scratch but Morgause had a surprisingly tight hold of her hands.

The spell they were doing took lot of effort for them as there were only two of them. The more sorcerers there were doing the spell, the easier it would have been, Morgause had told her as they had practised the spell. But that was all academic now. There were so few magic users left and fewer still High Priestesses. Morgana was astounded that the Disir had managed to stay so secret for so long.

"There you are sister," she heard Morgause say as her sister dropped her hands.

Morgana opened her eyes. She hadn't even realised she had closed them. Morgause was nodding her head, clearly pleased with their work.

"How do I look?" Morgana asked. "_What_ do I look like?"

She moved her hands to the front of her face. Her skin was darker like it seen too many summers in the field. Her skin was still as soft as it ever had been though, so it _looked_ like it had done a lot of work, even if it _felt_ like it hadn't. She didn't imagine anyone would be holding her hands though to find that out. She put her hands up to her hair and pulled it in front of her face. It was a light brown and didn't have the shine that her own black hair had. Her hands ran down her face as she examined it by touch. Her nose was smaller, her lips were thinner and her eyelashes weren't as long.

"Your eyes are still green though sister," Morgause told her, "but more of a grey-green. Quite different. You look like a maidservant, and a plain one at that. I very much doubt that anyone would be able to recognise you in any way."

Morgana smiled. Even that felt different- the muscles pulling and stretching in a way that felt entirely alien. "Well then, the job has been done well!" She said.

"With both your transportation spell and your disguise, I am sure that your goal is easily within reach," Morgause said, clearly pleased with their day's work.

Morgana scratched her scalp, feeling the residual effect of the spell and still needing to scratch the feeling of crawling ants away.

"So I will be like this until I return and we can change me back together?" Morgana asked her, clarifying.

"Yes," Morgause said, nodding.

oOo

Morgana waited until Morgause had fallen asleep again before she used her transportation spell to get to Camelot.

"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard."

She closed her eyes as she did the spell- she had found it a useful way for her to concentrate while she spoke the complex words.

When she opened them again, she was in a large clearing within the lands of Camelot. She looked around. It was a deserted clearing which was surrounded by forest, but over the tops of the trees, she saw the spires and turrets of her old home.

She went to the trees and quickly gathered some herbs that grew prolifically around there so that she could easily get through the gates of Camelot on the ruse that she was a healer using herbs to treat simple complaints. An apprentice to her father, a physician, she would tell them if anyone asked, going through the markets of Camelot to garner knowledge of recent medical achievements from the great physicians of a great city.

It was a plausible excuse, and if she needed to prove herself, then Morgause had taught her a good few things of the basics of healing with herbs. It was just then that her memory took her back to her childhood where Gaius also taught her things. In times of war, and as a woman, treating the men who came back from battle would have been one of her roles. As she wandered through the sodden floor of the forest towards the large gates of the city, she thought about the things that Gaius had taught her. She had always liked him and trusted him. And then the more she thought of him, the more she realised how much he had patronised her, never telling her anything that would 'worry her little mind', but he would tell Merlin or Uther-_ it wasn't even Merlin's business!_ She fumed. Suddenly, a herby whiff caught her nose and she looked down. She hadn't even realised how tightly she was squeezing the herbs. She loosened her hands and pulled her drab brown cloak closer to her to try and ward off the chill of the wet air.

She got to the gates of Camelot and luckily for her, it was market day and there were many traders and buyers going in and out of the gates so the guards just waved her in along with everyone else.

The stalls lined the streets on all sides. She remembered the markets from when she lived in the castle- the stalls would line the main street of Camelot all the way up to the entrance of the castle, which was useful. She could go from stall to stall right up to the castle and not look suspicious at all. And then she was sure that she would find her way inside well enough- she knew all the exits and entrances, even the ones that half of the knights didn't know about. _And_, if anyone _did_ catch her inside, she could use her apprentice to a physician story to say that she was looking for the 'great physician of Camelot' to teach her a few things so that she could take them back to her father.

She smiled a thin smile which felt alien on her new thin lips, and she walked up to the first stall.

A few stalls on, and she had to admit that she was quite enjoying herself. Market day had always been one of her favourite days anyway- meeting all of those people with stories from outside the city, people telling tales and stories and bringing news from the outlying regions. Not to mention wares that one might never see anywhere else. Even in spite of the weather, the streets of Camelot were bustling- no one missed a market day.

She spent her time talking to the stall holders to see what news they had. No one thought this was strange that someone would talk to them but never buy anything, although Morgana couldn't resist buying some of the sweet treats at one of the stalls to take home to Morgause. She tucked them away in her little bag that she had brought with her and carried on up the street.

She was surprised that even though she had spoken to a good many of the stall owners there, no one seemed to be talking about the Horror or even of some strange plague moving throughout the land. She wondered why.

She thought she had heard a few people in the crowd whispering of a terrible thing moving through Camelot and people being struck down, but she barely heard their words as she moved throught he crowds.

It wasn't until she got nearly to the castle entrance before she found a stall owner who had heard of it. She could tell that something was definitely up as he was only selling cheeses and yet he had a very large crowd around him.

She elbowed her way through to the front of his stall on the pretence of buying a small cheese and she listened.

"Aye," the man said, "a druid community were killed all at once from the plague," he was telling the crowd. A small gasp went through the crowd there, but Morgana wasn't sure whether it was because of the plague or if it was because there was a druid community still out there. She sneered at the narrow-mindedness of the people in the place.

"Aye," he carried on, "their eyes were still open, it happened so fast, no mark on them at all."

"I have seen it myself," Morgana said suddenly.

All eyes suddenly turned towards her, all of the people suddenly hanging on to her words, waiting for more to come from her.

"There is a plague, but it is more than that- it seeks out people and leaves behind nothing but destruction and death- not even plants are immune."

The man who owned the stall nodded, agreeing with her. "Aye, now then young missy, where did _you_ see it?"

Morgana looked at him. She recognised him- he'd been selling his cheeses in Camelot for many years. Sometimes, he brought milk and eggs. She had often gone to his stall for news of the lands of Camelot, and he had always a little something for the young child Morgana, whether it be a freshly baked bun or a wonderful story. She looked right at him there and then and realised just how good her disguise was- he had no idea who she was. His face showed no calculation, no recognition.

"Just outside the lands of Camelot," she told him. "Near to the white mountains, but in the forests."

He thought about this. "And _I _saw it very definitely _inside_ the lands of Camelot, not far from our farmland and it was still going through the forest then. I walked through the forest to find some mushrooms and I saw the trail it left behind- a brown track leaving nothing but carcasses of plants and animals in it's path."

He looked around at everyone and saw all of their wide eyes and mouths. "It's _almost as if it's alive_," he said, in a stage whisper.

The people standing around gasped loudly then and started to talk amongst themselves. A few of the people left to carry the word of this plague around Camelot to the people there and the stall owners.

Morgana looked around at them and knew that the news would spread like a plague now- market day was the best way to spread news like that. She also knew that it would be barely any time at all before the royal family knew about it as well- the servants and the knights were always to be found in the markets.

The crowd got heavier around the stall selling the cheeses and the man who owned it with people clamouring for more news and tales of what he knew. She took that opportunity to disappear into the crowd before any of them tried to badger her for information.

She slipped through all of them and disappeared into the servants' entrance of the castle and into the shadows.

oOo


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Sir Leon stood before Arthur who was sitting in the throne room, and gave him his report for the daily inspection of Camelot and the local area. He was about to finish his general report when Arthur spoke up.

"What of this newss of a plague coming towards Camelot?" he asked.

Leon's eyes glanced to the right while he thought. "I too have heard these rumours Sire," he said, "although nothing is confirmed. However, if it is true that there is a plague out there, it's direction is hardly an issue- a plague doesn't move on it's own, it requires people."

Arthur nodded, agreeing.

"And so, Sire, I think it would be a good idea to disperse the market stalls immediately and not have another market for some time- it is one thing to let healthy people through on their normal daily business, but with a market, there are so many people able to get in and out of the city unchecked in the mass of people that a sick person could easily get in without anyone seeing."

Arthur nodded again. "You're right," he said. He glanced at Guinevere who was standing next to a column behind Sir Leon. She gave him a very small nod, barely able to be seen, but Arthur saw it.

She came forwards to refill his goblet. She was doing some of the duties that Merlin might have done for Arthur.

At least, that was Arthur's excuse. He had actually asked her to be there in the throne room so that she might listen in on the reports under the pretence of servicing his drink. The one silver lining he could see about his father's condition was that he could act in the way that Arthur would want to act as king, and not completely how his father would have him act. And _Arthur_ wished to have the advice of wise people- Guinevere being one of them.

The fact that she saw the wisdom of what Leon was saying was enough for him. They were all in agreement.

He addressed Sir Leon. "Take as many knights as you need and disperse the market now. Try and quash the rumours as well- we don't need a panic amongst the people. Tell them..." he paused, wondering exactly what one might say to stop a rumour but still to have the people act in a sensible way if a plague _was_ about. "...tell them that I am _personally_ going to check these rumours of a plague and that they are not to worry. But until they receive a royal decree saying otherwise, they should stay in their villages and keep their travel to an absolute minimum."

Leon bowed his head. "Yes Sire," and he indicated to the few knights who were standing before Arthur in the throne room already to start dispersing the market. "One thing though Sire," he said, turning again to his Prince. "I don't think it is wise for you to inspect a possible plague- if there really is a plague running rampant throughout the lands, then the heir to the throne shouldn't be the one to see, and I say that with all reverence and respect for you My Lord," he said, looking at Arthur directly.

Arthur rolled his eyes, wishing just for a second that he wasn't a member of the royal family and that he could just be treated like a normal person. "I understand your concerns, Sir Leon, but if I don't do this, then there will be panic across the kingdom. A leader has to _lead_ and not be seen as cowering behind his city walls. If there is indeed a plague, then a city walls are unlikely to stop it. But if we ride out to discover where it might have originated from and where it is headed, then we may be able to do something about stopping it. I think you'll agree with me, Sir Leon, that if one of us was to die, we'd rather meet it in battle with a sword in our hands than asleep in our beds."

Leon's lips twitched, but he nodded, understanding exactly what Arthur was telling him, even if he didn't agree with it entirely. But he respected it greatly and he would do as he was told. "In that case My Lord, I would like to ride out with you to do such a thing."

Arthur gave a small laugh. There wasn't much mirth in it, but there was something else. Something that said he knew that Leon would say such a thing- it was the humour that brothers in arms on a battlefield share.

"I would be honoured if you would," he said.

Sir Leon bowed just then and started to leave to do Arthur's first wish and disperse the market stalls and the people, when he remembered something.

"Sire," he said, swinging back around to face Arthur again. "I had forgotten something."

"Yes?" Arthur asked, looking up at him.

"Well, the rumours of the plague were moving around the market place, but the majority of people there spoke of two people who had seen it first hand and they were telling everyone about it."

Arthur's eyebrows rose and hid themselves underneath the blonde hair that fell over his forehead. "Really?" he asked, incredulous. "They've _seen_ it? A plague?"

"Yes Sire, although a part of me wonders if the rumours had been altered from person to person. After all, how does one _see_ a plague?"

"Well exactly," Arthur replied. He looked down and frowned at the flagstone flooring. Then he looked up at Leon. "When you go out there, into the market place, I want you to find these two people and get their version of the story. If what the rumours are saying is true and this is a plague that can be _seen_, then my first thought would be whether it is indeed a plague as we know it and that it might be something else entirely. As Gaius would say- one rarely sees a disease, one normally only sees the results."

"I will find these people," Leon said firmly, and he bowed and left.

oOo

Once Sir Leon had left, Arthur dismissed everyone from the room as he left to go and see Sara in Gaius' chambers.

He bounded up the steps two at a time and barged through the wooden door without knocking.

Naira was hunched over Gaius' table. As Arthur barged his way in, she looked up nonchalantly as if she'd been expecting him all along.

He thought nothing of it though as he strode over to her and looked down at her.

"Sara- is there any possibility that this," he glanced over and waved his right hand towards the two cots with his friends on near the fireplace, "is a result of a plague?" he asked her.

Naira looked at him and then looked towards Merlin and Gaius.

"I don't think so," she said. "There are no signs of a plague here- there is no fever, no rash, no swelling, no blisters _or_ pustules. They aren't even pale," she said, shrugging.

Arthur sighed, frustrated by the lack of progress. "What could it _be_?" he asked, more to himself than to Naira. "Could it..." he began again quietly, then he looked back at Naira, "could it be a _magical_ plague?" he asked her, and then he cringed as the words sounded so silly in his head.

Naira smiled in a motherly way at him which surprised her. She had not expected herself to feel such a way towards a Pendragon, but this boy- _man_, she corrected herself, was a surprise. And so little like his father. He seemed almost able to grasp that magic wasn't the black and white problem that Uther thought of it as.

"That is what I am looking at now," she told him. "Gaius' books are very informative, and Geoffrey is being very sweet and helpful."

Arthur's lip curled in a way that reminded Naira of a child seeing that his parents' still kissed.

"Geoffrey? Geoffrey of Monmouth? The court Archivist? Are we talking about the same Geoffrey?" he asked her, incredulous.

She smiled at him and then turned stern, reminding him of why he was there. "I am using his books and learning from his memories of old plagues and things that we both remember from before the Purge. I am trying to find a precedent to this illness that these two men are suffering from." She glanced down at the book before her before looking back up again at Arthur with a pained expression. "So far, I have not been successful. But I am not stopping there!" she said, absolutel defiance in her voice.

Arthur smiled grimly at her. "Thank you," he said, surprising Naira again. "Thank you. Do whatever you can for them please. You can have any help you require that might bring them back, just name it," he said.

He turned to leave and started to walk towards the door at a more gentle pace this time. He opened the door before Naira's voice made him look back at her.

"You are very different from your father, My Lord," she said in a matter-of-fact voice.

Arthur looked at her and then left the room without saying anything, closing the door behind him.

He started to return to his room for something to eat. He knew something would be ready for him there- George was excellent at knowing almost to the minute when Arthur would walk through the door wanting something to eat.

He got to his door when another servant- a skinny boy of no more than thirteen with brown hair and freckles- caught up with him and bowed low. "Sire," he said, "Sir Leon says that he has one of the people you wanted to see from the market place waiting in the throne room for whenever you're ready."

Arthur looked at him, then glanced at his door- he could almost smell the pies that he knew George would have waiting for him in there, but he knew his duty and he knew that anything that threatened Camelot took precedence over his stomach.

He turned back to the boy and gestured for him to lead the way.

"Thank you, Benjamin, wasn't it? I'll come right away."

oOo

As the guards opened the door for their Prince to walk in, Arthur immediately saw Leon there with a man he knew well ever since his childhood.

He walked around in front and sat on the throne to hear what Leon had to say.

"This man, Lucas," Leon said gently as they all knew him well, "has something to say about the plague Sire."

Arthur gestured for the man to speak.

Lucas seemed a little nervous at having been brought before the Prince and the royal court, but he barely showed it and his voice was strong. "Sire, it is my understanding that you want to hear about the plague that comes towards Camelot, as I right?"

"Yes," Arthur said, hearing the voice and remembering the stories that it used to tell him when he was small. _But now isn't time for such things_, Arthur reminded himself. It was another kind of story altogether that he wanted Lucas to tell him now.

"Well Sire, I was on my travels selling my cheeses, you know that for me to get here, I have to travel a fair way and I stop and sell cheeses to whoever wants them on the journey." He cleared his throat. "Well, I was going through a forest when I came across this track- it wasn't a track that I'd ever seen before, and I've travelled there many a time. It wasn't a road, and it wasn't a natural thing." he said.

"How many times have you travelled that way exactly?" Arthur asked him.

"Oooohhhh," Lucas said, considering. "Once a month, I'd say. And I've done that for many years while selling cheeses." His eyes twitched just before he started talking again. "I came across this little camp- it isn't normally there either," he said. "I think..." and he paused for a moment, wondering whether he should say it or not. In the end, he decided that honesty was the best policy. "I think that it was a druid camp, and that they were on their travels to a new place to set up. In any case, I found them. All dead. Their eyes were open and they were just lying all around as if something had come across them so quickly that they hadn't even had time to move- there were women by the fire and some of the children still had toys in their hands. No one had any kind of weapon in their hands- it was like it happened so fast they couldn't defend themselves," he finished.

"Of course," Sir Leon piped up, "a druid wouldn't need a weapon to defend themselves," he said.

Lucas looked blank for a moment. "Oh, yes, of course," he realised. "But still- they looked like something had surprised them too quickly for them to do anything about it," he said.

Arthur stared at Lucas' feet, although he wasn't really seeing them.

"Anything else?" he asked the stall owner.

"Erm... oh yes!" Lucas said, "there was another thing- the unnatural track I saw- it had a direction. It looked like it could have been a road, because it was so straight. It came from the White Mountains, and it looked like it was heading towards Camelot, and left nothing but death and destruction in it's wake. It wasn't even that wide a track- probably about the width of a road even- but it didn't stop for trees or roots or people or dips and dells," he said.

Arthur looked at Leon. They both felt unnerved.

"This doesn't sound like a plague," Arthur said to both Lucas and Leon. "It sounds alive and with malicious intent."

"Aye,"

"Yes Sire," Leon and Lucas said simultaneously.

"What of the other person saying that they'd seen it?" Leon asked. "We heard that there was someone else."

Arthur stared at Lucas, waiting for his reply.

"Oh yes," he did reply. "There was a woman who said she'd seen it- the _actual thing_," he said, his voice dropping almost to a reverent whisper.

"Do you know who she was?" Arthur asked him.

"No Sire, I'd never seen her before in my life. Of course," he said, thinking about it, "she was so plain-looking that I should think she'd be easily forgettable. I'm sorry to speak so of a woman, but she really was the plainest thing I'd ever seen."

"Can you give us any description of her at all?" Arthur wanted to know.

"Erm... brown. She was brown all over- her clothes and her bag, and her hair. I can't say I noticed anything else about her, sorry Sire," he said shrugging.

Arthur stood up from the throne. "Don't be sorry Lucas, you've been very helpful. Do you know where she went?" he asked Lucas just before Leon led him away.

Lucas just shook his head though. "Sorry again Sire- she disappeared into the crowd, and there was quite a big crowd too."

Arthur nodded, understanding. "thank you," he said, and Leon led Lucas outside.

When Leon came back into the throne room, Arthur was still standing there, one hand on the throne and staring into space, clearly absorbing everything that he had been told.

"What would you have us do next?" Leon asked him as he came to stop just before the throne at a respectful distance.

Arthur was quiet for a moment longer before he answered. He rather wished that Merlin was there so that he could ask him what he thought- it would have been one of those strange times, he was sure of it, where Merlin would have come up with some bit of wisdom that helped Arthur no end. He wondered what Merlin would have said.

He turned and looked at Sir Leon. "You know," he began, "if no one had said the word _plague_ and coloured my perception of this thing, and if they had only said what Lucas told us, I would be quite sure that this thing was in fact, a creature. It sounds as if it has one thing on it's mind, and that is to come here. It leaves a track, and I've never heard of a disease doing anything like that. Animals leave tracks. Diseases don't."

Leon had to agree, and he said so. "Do you still plan on riding out to see it for yourself Sire?" he asked Arthur.

"If it were a magical creature we would do that, wouldn't we? So yes," Arthur said.

Leon bowed. "I shall saddle up some horses for us then Sire."

"And I shall go to the Armoury and find my sword," Arthur replied. "Oh- and," he started again, halting Leon before he left, "we _must_ find this plain woman. She can't just disappear. We need to know what she's _seen_- maybe we even need to find her before we leave so we know what we're looking for." Arthur thought about it for a second and then nodded to himself. "Yes- forget what I said before and find this woman."

"Yes Sire," Leon said with just as much respect as before.

Arthur still left the throne room with the intent to go to the Armoury. He always felt more in control of things when he had his sword at his side, and control in this instance, was not something he was feeling. He liked to deal in facts and statistics, no rumours and heresay. It made defending Camelot very hard when all he had to go on was whatever stories people told him.

He strode down the stone corridors into the heart of the castle. The Armoury was always well protected in a city, quite often near the treasure rooms. It wouldn't do at all for an enemy to get access to either room, after all. Of course, there were other, smaller, armouries at various points around the city- the main city gates had them so that the guards there could have quick and easy access to a range of weapons should there be a surprise attack on the city, but the royal arms were always within the main armoury of the castle.

He went around the penultimate turn before the Armoury when he almost ran full-tilt into a woman.

Morgana.

She gasped and almost fell back but Arthur managed to catch her before she fell. He let go of her quickly though and then frowned. She wasn't a servant of Camelot.

"Who are you?" he asked bluntly. He looked her up and down, suspicious.

Morgana looked down at herself, not trusting her disguise well enough to look Arthur in the eye, and so she brushed her plain and simple attire down. "Oh! I'm no one S-Sire," she said, stalling while she quickly thought of a name. "My name is Hannah and I'm- I'm lost," she finished.

Arthur was still suspicious, but slightly less so. "Oh?" he queried. "Where do you want to be?" he demanded. "This place is off-limits to everyone but castle staff."

Morgana looked up at him, although she still couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She hoped that he would assume that it was because, as a lowly commoner, she wouldn't dare look into the eyes of the Prince of Camelot. "I'm trying to find the physician's chambers, but the man I asked directions from said so many left and right turns that I must have taken one or two wrong turns and then after that, I was hopelessly lost!" She hoped that her dear brother would buy that. At least it was true that the castle of Camelot was indeed a mass of twists and turns.

Arthur's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. He took in her bag and the herbs in her hands.

Morgana realised that he really didn't seem to recognise her, but she didn't meet his eyes anyway, just in case.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Alright, but you really are quite far away from the physician's chambers, and I must warn you that if you seek council with Gaius, our court physician, then you are out of luck. He is ill and unable to see anyone. We have another physician in his stead- Sara, from one of the outlying villages. She will help you, I'm sure."

Morgana was surprised. Gaius seemed to have lived forever and had the constitution of an ox. She wondered what on earth had the power to make him ill.

"Thank you Sire," she said, and curtsied deeply, as she remembered Gwen doing for her on many an occasion.

She stood up, still not meeting Arthur's eyes and allowed herself to be directed away from the treasure vaults, which annoyed her greatly. What annoyed her even more though was that Arthur insisted on accompanying her all the way to the physician's chambers so that she couldn't slip away from him. It was very frustrating, but she didn't let it show. Even when he opened the door to the chamber for her to go through, she curtsied deeply again and put on a voice that was so respectful that she barely recognised herself under it.

"Oh, _and_," he said, grabbing her arm just before she walked into the room, "have you heard the rumours of a plague heading for Camelot?" he asked her.

She didn't like his tone of voice- it held a note of suspicion that she didn't like. But she thought about what she would tell him. Should she say what she had said in the market place? She didn't think so- she didn't want Arthur to look at her any more than he had to. Even with her disguise, there was too much risk that he might somehow recognise her anyway.

"No Sire, I'm sorry," she said.

Arthur merely nodded and shut the door behind her to return to the Armoury so Morgana knew that she couldn't excuse herself from Naira who had looked up at her and go back to where Arthur had found her.

Out of curiosity though, Morgana stepped into the room towards Naira. "You are Sara?" she asked the old woman.

Naira nodded, looking at Morgana curiously, but saying nothing and waiting for the young woman to speak.

Morgana cleared her throat. This was not what she had expected. "Where is Gaius?" she asked. "I had hoped for an audience with him."

Naira nodded towards the fireplace.

Frowning, Morgana walked over there. Behind a screen and next to the fire lay two cots. One with Gaius in, the other with Merlin in. She gasped, involuntarily.

"What happened to them?" she asked, looking back at Naira.

Naira got up, her bones cracking and slowly walked towards the cots while she dusted the dust off her sleeves from the myriad of books she'd been looking through that had lain untouched for decades.

"No one knows," she said. "They were found unconscious in the woods quite far away. They have been like this for some time, but there is no change either positive or negative. They just sleep and never wake up."

Morgana looked at Naira, and then looked back at the cots. Those two men had caused her no end of trouble in the past. How tempting it would be, while they were out of the way, to take Camelot for herself now... while no one could foil her plans... but she stopped herself. She had Morgause to think of, and she was not yet a High Priestess- she still needed Morgause's tuition on her powers and her wisdom as well.

She couldn't help the little smile that graced her lips though, and while she didn't notice the involuntary movement, Naira certainly noticed it and scowled.

They both looked up at the door that led to Merlin's little room. Guinevere came through it, having been tidying Merlin's room for him "for when he woke up" she had told Naira, although they both knew that it was because she couldn't stand doing nothing while her friends were in their illness-induced sleep.

"Oh I'm sorry- have I disturbed something?" Gwen asked, pausing at the top of the steps.

"No no," Naira said, shaking her head and gesturing subtly so that Morgana wouldn't see for Gwen to come over to her. "We are discussing their illness," she said.

"Yes," Morgana said. "My name is Hannah, and I had come here to see Gaius, but now I discover that he is unable to help me."

Gwen walked over to the table where Naira was standing.

"Sara is a good physician though," she said, "she can help you with anything you might need help with."

Both Naira and Guinevere could tell that the young woman wasn't paying much attention to them. She was staring at Merlin and Gaius with such a strange expression that neither of them could decipher.

"Get the guards," Naira whispered to Gwen.

Gwen nodded and immediately left.

Morgana didn't even notice. The cogs were ticking in her head. She had dismissed the idea of taking Camelot then and there, but that didn't stop her from wondering if she could take their illness as an advantage to herself.

"Tell me what has happened to them," she demanded of Naira. "I want to know everything. Maybe I can help," she added, trying not to look too eager at their apparent demise.

Naira knew that she would have to stall the woman until Guinevere could return with the guards, but she felt that telling this woman anything about the illness of Gaius and Merlin would be a mistake, so she just told her only that which was obvious- that no rash or fever was on them and that she was studying the books.

Morgana merely nodded as she barely heard what Naira was telling her.

"But are you sure that I can't help you with anything?" Naira asked, trying to stall for more time.

"No no," Morgana said, still not looking even in Naira's direction. "I came here only for an audience with Gaius so that he could teach me some new things in the field of medicine. I've heard he is the best."

Naira raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. It was true that many people would come to see Gaius to learn from him, but this woman didn't seem in any way sincere. She didn't even seem to care about the two men in the cots, but she was definitely fascinated by them, that much Naira _could_ see.

She was about to challenge Morgana when Guinevere returned with the guards and Arthur in tow, swords drawn and ready to fight.

"Who are you?" he yelled at her.

Morgana focused then- he head snapping around to the door. She glared at Guinevere and then at Naira and her whole expression changed to show a desperate sort of fury.

She knew that she had been discovered, even if they didn't know exactly who she was, and she also knew that the time for subtly was over so she yelled out a spell which filled the room with smoke and then closed her eyes and under her breath, she spoke the words of the transportation spell to get to the treasure vaults.

When the smoke cleared, she had disappeared.

"Where has she gone?" Arthur demanded, although he knew that no one would be able to tell him.

Naira and Guinevere rushed forwards to Merlin and Gaius to check that she hadn't done anything to them.

"They're alright," Guinevere breathed out to Arthur, relieved.

One of the guards ran out of the room and soon after, the city's alarm bells started to ring.

They all jumped when an explosion rocked the foundations of the castle.

"That came from the vaults!" Arthur yelled, and ran out with the other guards following him.

They got to the treasure room, which, Arthur realised, wasn't far from where he'd seen the woman- Hannah- before when he had run into her. He kicked himself for not realising right then that she must have been who Lucas was describing.

The corridor was filled with smoke and stone dust. Arthur waved his sword-free arm in front of his face to try and clear the air, or at least stop himself from breathing too much of the dust in, and jogged towards the door.

Which wasn't there any more.

In it's place was a vast hole from floor to ceiling.

Arthur stormed through the hole, sword held high, closely followed by his guards and some knights who had been in the Armoury nearby and rallied to help.

Arthur saw the brown-haired woman at the far side of the treasure room and, leading by his sword, he walked towards her.

"Who are you?" he demanded to know.

She slowly turned around to face him. Arthur could see that she was holding something close to her in her hands, but it was too small for him to see what it was.

"What have you taken?" he demanded again.

She smiled at him, a smile which made his memory twitch, but for the life of him, he couldn't _quite_ work out where he had seen it before.

"Oh Arthur," she said with a voice that fairly dripped with sarcasm and gloating. "If only you know what was about to happen to you."

She raised her head high, showing a haughtiness that looked wrong on the plain features of her face and just for a second, Arthur _thought_ he saw Morgana. But he had to be wrong.

"Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!" she yelled, and she disappeared.

"No!" Arthur yelled and ran over to where she had been, but there was no sign of her. He kicked a nearby urn in frustration.

oOo

Far away, Morgana had returned to Morgause and was now back in her normal shape with her regular features. It had been fun being someone else for a way, but she was much more comfortable in her own body.

"You found it," Morgause said, with a little awe tingeing her voice. "It's more beautiful than I had even imagined," she said, taking the amulet from Morgana.

She held it aloft for them both to see and Morgana had to agree. She only hoped that she could use it properly to save them all.

oOo


End file.
